Sympathy for the Devil
by kalina-blue
Summary: A compilation of all my Dramione drabbles. Drabbles are in no particular order and can stand on their own. Enjoy.
1. Hide or Fight

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** Hide or Fight  
**Author:** kalina-blue  
**Word Count:** 498  
**Rating:** pg-13  
**A/N:** This was my first entry for the first round at dramione ldws over at lj. The prompt was titled _Change or be Changed_. Scenario: The final battle at Hogwarts. Draco witnessed what could be Hermione's final moments. What will he do?  
Reviews are love. :)

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**Hide or Fight**

Hermione carefully rounded another corner. She was in the Charms corridor – alone – or at least hoped she was. Scorch marks were marring the walls, the window front was partially collapsed, and Hermione feared it would crumble altogether.

How she had ended up in the corridor, separated from the other DA members, she wasn't quite sure. Death Eaters had attacked them and the fight had been fierce. Ron had been next to her the whole time, duelling a Death Eater, while Hermione was engaging another.

Then Ron had been gone.

The Death Eaters had still been there, and it had taken all of Hermione's skills to fight them off. Hermione fervently hoped Ron was alright.

Since defeating the two Death Eaters she had been alone and Hermione was desperate to find her way back to Ron.

She walked further on, around another corner. And still she was alone. The castle was big and the fighting was spread throughout.

A few more steps.

Suddenly a curse hit her, immobilising her from her neck downwards. A strong arm grabbed her and pulled her towards a classroom. Hermione tried to find a way to break the spell, but motionless as she was her options were limited. All she could do was scream. Nobody heard.

She was dragged along until they were inside the room and the door closed.

"Fuck, Granger, stop bitching." The arm let go of her and the spell was released. Hermione wheeled around.

"Draco?! What are you doing?"

Draco Malfoy ignored her question. Instead he sat down on a desk, used his wand to light a cigarette, and inhaled the smoke deeply.

"I hate it when you do that," Hermione hissed.

"None of your business. Not anymore," he replied and took another drag.

"True," Hermione agreed. "I'm not staying anyways." She meant to grasp the handle of the door, but one flick of his wand and the handle glowed bright red. Hermione didn't dare touch it.

Instead she pointed her own wand at it.

"Stay. It's safer here," Draco said, but didn't take any further actions to prevent her from leaving.

"I have to find Ron."

"You'll get killed before you reach the Weasel."

"None of your business. Not anymore… I won't hide."

Hermione left the classroom.

She had almost reached the stairs when she ran into another group of Death Eaters. They immediately charged towards her, encircling her like hunters did their prey. Hermione raised her wand ready to fight. Or die.

Suddenly, two of her attackers fell to the ground. Surprised Hermione saw Draco standing behind them, his wand already pointing at the third. Together they disposed off the Death Eaters quickly.

When they were the only ones standing, Draco wordlessly walked away. Hermione caught up with him at the staircase.

"I thought you were going to stay at the classroom?"

"I was," Draco replied evasively.

"What changed?"

Draco gave her a wry smile.

"I won't hide." He continued down the stairs, leaving a stunned Hermione behind.


	2. The Meeting

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** The Meeting**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Word Count:** 495**  
Rating:** PG**  
A/N: **Written for dramione ldws round 1, challenge 2. The Prompt was to write a drabble inspired by the following lyrics:

_Summer in the city means cleavage cleavage cleavage __  
__and I start to miss you, baby, sometimes __  
__I've been staying up and drinking in a late night establishment __  
__telling strangers personal things_

Lyrics from Summer in the City by Regina Spektor

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**The Meeting**

I was nervously fingering the beer in front of me, sweat pooling in the valley between my breasts, my summer dress sticking to my body. The heat was overwhelming.

Casting a freezing charm would have been a relief, if it wasn't for the fact that I was at a Muggle bar, trying to be inconspicuous. My wand was hidden in my purse.

I sighed while the college students occupying the table behind me were getting rowdier with each round of ale. Normally, I wouldn't have entered a bar like this, especially this late at night. But I was meeting somebody.

And he was late. I took another sip from my beer, making a face as the bitter liquid touched my tongue. I hastily put down the bottle, wiping away the foam that had spilled on my chin.

"Very attractive, Granger." Suddenly the stool beside me was occupied. I glared at him while he ordered a beer.

How someone so obviously a wizard as Malfoy could blend into a Muggle bar that easily was beyond me. Nevertheless, he probably was doing a better job than me. He seemed completely at ease.

The barman came back with Malfoy's beer and he took a sip – no slopping.

You're late," I hissed.

"I had to shake a few tails," he didn't sound apologetic.

I glanced worriedly to the door, but when no Death Eater was entering, I turned back.

"Did you have to pick a bar like this for meeting?" I asked, gripping my bottle tighter. I would not take another sip in front of him, but I needed to hide the shaking of my hands. Whether the shaking was due to anger or something else I did not dare analyse.

"We're crappy today," he commented, taking another sip. No care in the world.

I very much hated him right then.

"Please, let's just get this over with," I said anxiously.

"As you wish." Malfoy got up from his stool, standing behind me before I even realised he had moved. Bracing his hands on either side of me on the bar he leaned impossibly close, whispering in my ear. "Always a pleasure, Granger."

He pressed a hot kiss against my neck, something I ought to have slapped him for, and then strolled out of the bar. Whistling.

My whole body was shaking.

I unsteadily got up from the chair, paying for both beers and ignoring the boisterous cheers from the drunken college students. Malfoy was gone. I knew he had delivered what I had wanted. I clutched my purse to my breasts, which by now should contain my wand and information on Voldemort. While I looked for a secure spot to Apparate out of this hellhole, I resolved to beg Harry to get someone else to meet with our most important spy – anyone but me.

I was still shaking.

But when I finally Disapparated from a secluded alley, I knew I would not talk to Harry.

I never did.


	3. Pillow Talk

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** Pillow Talk**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Word Count:** 347**  
Rating:** PG-1**3  
A/N:** Written for dramione ldws round 1, challenge 3. Prompt: An Apology.

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**Pillow Talk**

"Goyle apologized to me today." The statement came out of the blue and interrupted Draco's post-coital bliss. He turned his head, too tired to move any more than absolutely necessary, and looked at his girlfriend, who was snuggled to his side.

"What for?" he asked with the bare minimum of interest. What his friends did or said usually wasn't of much concern to him when he was lying naked in bed with Hermione.

"Bullying me at school, calling me a Mudblood… you know…" Hermione trailed of. Draco tried to look at her face to get at least some indication about what she was thinking of that apology, but Hermione had her face buried in his shoulder.

"Did you accept?" he asked, honestly curious this time. Although Hermione and he had been together for more than four months now, this evening had been the first time that he had brought her along when going out with his old friends from school. They both had been nervous about whether Hermione would get along with the former Slytherins, but surprisingly enough the evening had passed without any of the old school rivalry flaring up.

"Of course I did."

"That's good then." Draco had been pleased that the evening had gone so well.

"Can I ask you something?" Hermione spoke softly. Draco could hear the trepidation in her voice.

"Sure," he answered wearily. He wasn't one for emotional conversations and he thought he had a good idea what was coming next.

"Why didn't you ever apologize to me?" Hermione asked, voice low, face still buried in his shoulder.

Though Draco had anticipated the question, he still didn't have an answer; at least none he was comfortable sharing with. Growing impatient with his silence Hermione raised her head, looking him straight in the eyes. Draco absentmindedly lifted a hand to play with her hair, a tangled mess of curls thanks to their earlier activities.

"Do you need an apology?" he finally asked.

Hermione shook her head, sending the curls flying.

"Then I'm sorry," Draco said before drawing her closer for a kiss.


	4. Melting

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title: **Melting**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Rating:** pg-13**  
Word Count:** 499**  
A/N: **Written for dramione ldws round 1, challenge 5. The Prompt was 'Ice-cream'. I actually won that challenge. :)

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**Melting**

It was 3am when Draco woke up and found the bed empty. Confused, he got up to search for his missing girlfriend, who had already been asleep when he had come home from work around midnight.

He didn't like sleeping alone and neither did Hermione, which made Draco suspicious of her unexpected absence.

He found her sitting in the kitchen, with a tub of ice-cream and a soup spoon in her hands, surrounded by various desert toppings. Draco was sure that her dentist parents would disown her, if they knew how much junk she was ingesting.

Leaning against the doorframe, he spoke, "Alright, what have I done wrong now?"

Hermione jumped. "Merlin, Draco. You scared me."

"Sorry," Draco apologized, remaining at the door.

"Why do you think you've done something wrong?" Hermione asked bewildered.

"Because it's the middle of the night and you're trying to give yourself a sugar shock." Draco rolled his eyes. "Sure sign that you're upset and usually it's my fault."

"I'm not upset," Hermione assured him. Draco watched with horror as she filled a spoon with ice-cream, poured some honey over it and added sprinkles on top. He got a toothache just watching her.

"You are upset!"

Ignoring Draco, Hermione continued eating. By the looks of it, she was enjoying her food immensely. Draco concluded that it was safe to come closer and sat down beside her, still watching apprehensively for any signs of distress.

"Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine," she scolded.

Draco continued staring when she topped off another spoonful of ice-cream with whipped cream and chocolate syrup, and devoured it.

"Are you trying to tell me that this"—he indicated the ice-cream—"is normal?"

Hermione ignored him, reaching for the brittle, but Draco noticed a faint blush colouring her cheeks.

Exasperated, Draco snatched the spoon out of Hermione's hands. "Will you just tell me what's wrong already? Or do I have to guess?"

Hermione tried to take her spoon back, but Draco held it out of her reach.

"Fine! I might have been a tiny bit frustrated. Now give it back."

"Frustrated about what?" Draco asked, but Hermione returned her attention to the ice-cream, dipping a finger into the tub and then sticking it in her mouth. The blush had become more pronounced.

"You look tired, maybe you should go back to sleep," Hermione suggested.

"About what?" Draco repeated.

"Just, you know…"

"No, I don't. That's why I keep asking."

"Well, it's just you've been working late… and I've had a lot to do at the Ministry… and we haven't really been _together_ in some time…" Hermione mumbled.

"Are you trying to say you're sexually frustrated?"

Hermione nodded reluctantly.

"Why didn't you just wake me up?" Draco asked disbelievingly.

"You looked tired, and—" Draco grabbed the ice-cream tub, throwing it away carelessly. Then he pulled Hermione onto his lap. While they shared a passionate kiss—it really had been too long—the ice-cream lay forgotten on the floor—melting.


	5. Test Run

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** Test Run**  
Author: **kalina-blue**  
Rating:** PG**  
Word Count:** 496**  
A/N: **Written for dramione ldws round 1, challenge 6. This time the Prompt was 'Weasleys Wizard Wheezes'. I had a hard time incorporating that theme into a Dramione Drabble, let me tell you.

For the purpose of the drabble, let's all assume that Fred's not dead.

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**Test Run**

She had to resort to begging, but after two years of dating and another four months of being engaged, Hermione had finally been able to convince Draco to accompany her to Sunday lunch at the Burrow.

In her eyes, it was the test run for their wedding, which was set to be the following month. While she had been overjoyed when Draco had proposed, Hermione feared that with both the Weasley clan and the Malfoy family in attendance, their wedding was a disaster waiting to happen.

Hence, she had insisted on Draco's company at the Burrow, to test the waters so to speak.

Everything went well until 74 minutes into the lunch, when Fred 'accidentally' let a purple substance fall into Draco's pudding. The future groom, unfortunately, didn't notice as he was busy staring down his fiancée's décolleté.

At 74 minutes and 30 seconds Draco took another bite of his desert, unknowingly ingesting the newest and yet unnamed product of WWW. Another 30 seconds later his aristocratic looks were somewhat diminished by his now pink hair.

Only ten seconds after finding out why everyone had suddenly started laughing, Draco had deduced who had tempered with his food and dyed his hair this undignified colour. He was aiming to hex the twins, and merely Hermione's pleading look stopped him from starting a fight.

A later analysis of the situation by the bride-to-be and her maid of honour, Ginny, would reach the conclusion that at this point the situation could still have been defused and further escalation of the fighting might have been prevented.

Until Fred cockily remarked to George that the test run of their newest invention had gone rather smashingly and that he was very pleased with the results.

This little sentence, quite innocent when compared to Fred's earlier actions, had an astounding effect on Hermione. Completely abandoning her agenda of keeping the peace, she drew herself up to her full height, one hand at her hip, the other pointing her wand right at the troublesome duo. What then followed was neither pretty nor in any way peaceful.

The twins were treated to a 10 minute lecture on how their irresponsible behaviour when testing their new products was dangerous to the public, and how they should be brought up on charges. The speech then drew a quite unflattering parallel between Fred and George's questionable abuse of innocent first years back at Hogwarts and their most recent performance. Hermione concluded that Fred and George needed to finally learn to respect their fellow witches and wizards.

At the end of her monologue, which Mrs. Weasley couldn't have delivered with more force, Hermione quickly flicked her wand at the twins, a faint popping noise the only evidence of her wordless spell.

87 minutes after the lunch had started Hermione dragged a still pink-haired but smirking Draco away. The twins were staring after them, identical looks of horror on their faces and two bald heads gleaming in the midday's sun.


	6. Cut My Life Into Pieces

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** Cut my Life into Pieces**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Rating: **pg-13**  
Word Count**: 495**  
A/N: **Here's the next drabble, featuring a very worried Harry (besides Draco and Hermione, of course). Oh, and I stole the title from the Papa Roach song 'Last Resort'. :) Hope you like it. Comments are always appriciated.

Written for dramione ldws round 1, challenge 7. Prompt: Working From Home.

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**Cut my Life into Pieces**

Very few things frightened Harry Potter. He had lived through too many attacks on his life, he had _died _and he had defeated Lord Voldemort. He wasn't scared easily. Still, when he saw Hermione lying in her bed, staring at the ceiling while silent tears streamed down her cheeks, he was truly terrified.

The death of Hermione's parents had come as a shock to all of them. Having moved back from Australia after their daughter had removed the memory charm, the Grangers had rebuild their dentist practice. It had been on their way home from work that their car had been involved in an accident. Hermione's parents had been dead before the ambulance arrived.

The news had hit Hermione hard, though she seemed to be coping relatively well at first.

Then Hermione began to ignore invitations to the Burrow and stopped returning owls. Finally, when Harry heard from Hermione's supervisor at the Ministry that she had been working from home for a week, he had Apparated to her flat. He found her in pieces.

Harry tried everything to cheer her up—without success. Hermione remained unresponsive to all his attempts at comforting her, and Harry had never felt more helpless. For three days Hermione lay motionless in her bed, refusing to eat, refusing to even move. Seeing her despair was more than Harry could take and he vowed to himself that he would do anything in his power to stop her tears.

And he did.

Locating Malfoy had been easy, as was getting inside the headquarters of Malfoy Inc. since Harry wasn't above using his fame in order to get what he wanted for once. Convincing Malfoy to come with him, however, had been more difficult, but Harry could not be deterred and resorted to blunt force when the former Slytherin wasn't cooperating fast enough.

Once Malfoy had seen Hermione though, there was no need to force him anymore. Harry silently watched from the door as his nemesis slowly approached his best friend's bed.

"Merlin, Granger you look awful."

It took Harry a lot not to hex Malfoy on the spot when he heard him insult the crying girl. It was easy then for Harry to remember while he had been so vehemently opposed to any relationship forming between the pair. To everyone's shock, Hermione and Draco had actually begun dating shortly after the war. However, the connection between them hadn't been strong enough to withstand the combined disapproval of their friends and families.

Now Harry hoped that he had been wrong to interfere. Malfoy was his last resort.

Reluctantly he listened to him enumerating the reasons why Hermione wasn't looking her best, her hair was a mess, her skin too pale, she had lost too much weight… But Harry also saw how Malfoy kneeled beside Hermione's bed, gently wiping the tearstains from her cheeks.

And, most importantly, Harry saw how Hermione slowly leaned her head into Malfoy's touch and how her tears finally subsided.


	7. Joyride

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** Joyride**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Rating: **R**  
Word Count:** 487**  
A/N: **Written for dramione ldws round 1, challenge 2. Prompt: Muggle technology. This drabble got me voted off the contest. But that's completely fine, since I had never expected to make it into the top four in the first place. Reviews are love.

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**Joyride**

"Absolutely not."

"Come on, Draco," Hermione pleaded. "I always ride the Ferris wheel." Draco shook his head. Why he had agreed to accompany his girlfriend to a Muggle fun fair was beyond him.

"_Please_." Hermione kissed the corner of his mouth and hugged her body closer to his. "I promise it's going to be fun." She licked his lips.

Alright, Draco knew how she had talked him into going with her. It had started out with a kiss very much like this one, and before long he had been unable to remember why he should refuse his girlfriend anything at all.

"I don't think so." Draco took a step back, holding Hermione at arm's length.

"You're not scared, are you?" Hermione smiled up at him innocently.

"Of course not."

"Then let's go," Hermione insisted, pulling him towards the queue in front of the Ferris wheel. Draco had the feeling that he really ought to learn how to say no to the girl.

They bought their tickets and waited for their turn; all the while, Draco was eying the dubious piece of Muggle technology sceptically.

"This is going to be great," Hermione announced when they were first in line, eagerly entering the waiting gondola. Draco followed with less enthusiasm. Still, he allowed her to pull his arm over her shoulders and to snuggle closer to him.

Her hand came to rest on his thigh, squeezing it tightly as the wheel lurched into motion. Draco was only slightly comforted by the knowledge that his wand was in the pocket of his jacket, which was lying across his lap.

"Just relax," Hermione whispered, her hand slowly moving upwards.

Draco's breath caught in his throat. "What are you—" before he had finished the question Hermione was cupping him through his trousers, squeezing tightly and Draco suddenly found himself fighting a moan.

"Relax," Hermione repeated, rubbing her palm against his beginning hardness. Draco chanced a look at his lap to check that the movements of her hand were hidden by his discarded jacket. They had reached the highest point already, a fact that had completely escaped Draco's attention, as Hermione was unbuttoning his fly and slipped her fingers into his boxers.

Draco bucked up involuntarily, meeting Hermione's hand, which was quickly pumping up and down his length. He barely remembered anymore that there were people in the surrounding gondolas and down on earth. It felt too good.

"So, Draco, how do you like the Ferris wheel?" Hermione's hand stilled all of a sudden. Draco swore.

Hermione looked at him with polite interest, waiting for an answer.

"I fucking love it," Draco spat out.

Hermione laughed, resuming her movements and gradually quickening the pace. Draco could feel the sweat on his skin and the pressure building inside him. As the Ferris wheel started to slow down, he spilled himself over Hermione's hand. The gondola came to a standstill.

The ride was over.


	8. Forgiveness

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this

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**Title:** Forgiveness**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Word Count:** 100**  
Rating:** PG**  
A/N:**Written for drcjsnider. Her prompt was 'knees'. I just wrote what first came into my mind.

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**Forgiveness**

"What would you like me to do? Get down on my knees and beg for your forgiveness?" Draco shouted.

"You'd never actually do that," Hermione shot back, hastily stuffing her clothing into a bag and blinking away her tears.

"True," Draco admitted, taking the half-packed bag out of her hands. "But I don't want you to leave."

Hermione looked into his eyes, trying to decipher the hidden emotions there. He hadn't actually apologized for their latest fight and she knew better than to expect that of him. But he wouldn't let her leave and to her that was what mattered.


	9. Sensitivity

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** Sensitivity **  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Word Count:** 130**  
Rating:** PG**  
A/N: **Written for dynonugget. Her prompt was: Draco has to take a 'sensitivity' class - that Hermione teaches, of course.

I'm not sure if this is what Dyno had in mind. :) Oh well…

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**Sensitivity**

"Remind me again why I'm doing this," Draco asked annoyed, as he grabbed his jacket.

"Because I'm nervous about teaching my first class and feel better if someone's there I know," Hermione replied absentmindedly while checking her notes for the umpteenth time.

"Right," Draco grumbled. "Though why you feel the need to teach Sensitivity classes for Muggles is still beyond me."

Hermione closed her bag, satisfied that her papers were in order. "I told you, it's all about giving back. As a community—"

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. Let's just go and get this over with." Draco resolutely pushed Hermione out of their flat, sneer firmly in place.

"Taking a sensitivity class might actually be good for you," Hermione hinted with a sly smile.

"What's that supposed to mean?"


	10. Questionable Masculinity

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

**Title:** Questionable Masculinity**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Word Count:** 100**  
Rating:** PG**  
A/N: **Written for zinne80. Her prompt was 'shoe fetish'.

**Questionable Masculinity**

"I'm not going," Draco announced determinedly.

"Draco, must we have this conversation every time?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "He's your parole officer, and you're required to see him once a month."

"But he's hitting on me," Draco whined.

"I'm sure you're just imagining things. Percy Weasley is not homosexual. He is married, you know."

"That man has a shoe fetish, I'm telling you," Draco disagreed. "What self-respectable, _straight_ wizard has 37 different pairs of shoes and is proud of it? He's definitely gay!"

"So what? You own 53 different ties. What does that make you?" Hermione asked.

"That's completely different."


	11. In My Time of Dying

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this.

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**Title:** In My Time of Dying

**Author:** kalina-blue  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Prompt Set:** 100.1 (Draco/Hermione)  
**Prompt: **95. Death  
**Word Count: **712  
**Summary:** Hermione and Draco have been captured by Death Eaters.

**Warnings:** Completely AU after HBP.

**A/N: **Title comes from a song by Led Zeppelin. Written for Welcome to My Nightmare: Dramionedrabble's Halloween Challenge 2008. Day 01: No tears please, it's a waste of good suffering. -- _Hellraiser_

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**In My Time of Dying**

"Granger, stop wailing already," Draco commanded, irritation evident in his voice.

"Well, excuse me, if our imminent death has me a bit scared," Hermione shot back, but she made an effort to wipe away her tears.

"Ever heard of the phrase 'silent suffering'?" Draco asked annoyed, shifting slightly, trying to get at least a little bit more comfortable on the cold stone floor.

They had been in the dungeons for hours, ever since they had been captured by a group of Death Eaters during their last mission. It was supposed to be pure routine, just another search for intel about the Horcruxes, probably another dead end, like the many other ones before.

Draco sighed. Instead, it had been an ambush. Outmanned two to twelve, Granger and he had never stood a chance.

Draco shifted again, careful not to disturb Hermione too much, whose head was resting on his thigh. She had sustained a nasty blow to the head during the fight when one of the Death Eaters had cast, "_Confringo_!" at her. Hermione had been lucky enough not to have been hit directly by the Blasting Curse; however, the cart behind which she had been taking cover had been hit, knocking her to the ground when it exploded.

Draco had tried patching the wound up as best as he could after they had been deposited in this good-forsaken cell, but he knew that without the attention of a Healer, Granger didn't stand much of a change.

It didn't matter anyway. Voldemort would not leave them alive for long.

"I guess, all those Order members who thought I'm the traitor have to rethink their theories now," Draco remarked sarcastically.

Draco had joined the Order of the Phoenix after the attack on Hogwarts, which had resulted in Dumbledore's death. Snape had taken him to number twelve, Grimmauld Place because joining the Dark Lord had been too dangerous after Draco had been unwilling to follow through with his orders. The Order had accepted Snape back after interrogating him under Veritaserum, thereby finding out about Dumbledore's plan.

Draco's acceptance into the Order had been an entirely different matter, considering that he had willingly become a Death Eater and was the sole reason why You-Know-Who's followers had been able to penetrate Hogwarts.

However, Potter had grudgingly testified that Draco had not harmed Dumbledore when he had had the opportunity, and Snape argued that a sixteen years old boy didn't stand a chance of refusing the Dark Lord when he commanded to be followed. In the end, it had been decided that Draco had been coerced into becoming a Death Eater and deserved a second chance.

Draco himself had his own reasons for wanting to serve the Order. Less than a week after the attack on Hogwarts and his disappearance, his mother's badly maimed body had been recovered. Retaliation for her son's betrayal. Draco didn't care anymore about which ideology was the right one or whose side was more powerful. He wanted to see the murderers of his mother dead.

Still, many members of the Order never believed he had changed sides completely, and when a few months ago it became apparent that they had a traitor in their midst, Draco immediately was the prime suspect.

"I never thought it was you," Hermione said, her voice sounding weaker by the minute.

"Thanks, Granger," Draco simply said, too tired to come up with a snide comment.

Another hour in the dungeons and Hermione was shivering badly. Draco was running his hands over her arms and back, trying to warm her up at least a little bit, but knew that Hermione had gone into shock and that there was nothing he could do to help her.

"Are you scared, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, although Draco had trouble understanding her through the chattering of her teeth.

"Of, course not," Draco replied. "We're going to be alright, you'll see."

Hermione didn't say anything for a while, and Draco continued to run his hands over her body in a futile attempt to warm her up.

"Thanks, Draco," Hermione finally whispered.

"For what?"

"Lying," Hermione said and closed her eyes. Draco felt her body go limp in his arms. Minutes later he heard steps coming closer and the iron door was opened.

They were coming.


	12. Ulterior Motive

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't indent to make any profit with this fic._

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**Title:** Ulterior Motives**  
Author:** kalina-blue**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Word Count: **353**  
Summary:** Hermione's most recent project and why Draco has agreed to help out.**  
Warnings:**Post-DH, EWE  
**A/N: **Written for Welcome to My Nightmare: Dramionedrabble's Halloween Challenge 2008. Day 02: She just goes a little mad sometimes. We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you? – _Psycho_.

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"Lady, are you mad?" the elderly wizard who had answered the door asked, looking from Hermione to the man behind her, who just shrugged indifferently.

Hermione grabbed her clipboard a little tighter in frustration; this was the third person in a row to wonder about her mental health. But she continued nonetheless, "The _Society Against The Maleducation And Social Underappreciation of Flubberworms_ is completely legitimate. I assure you that this is a matter of extreme importance, which is why we are collecting signatures, in order to—"

The wizard slammed the door in her face. Hermione sighed and turned around to face her partner.

"This is unbelievable! I just don't understand why no one takes an interest in the fate of these poor creatures," she complained exasperatedly.

Draco looked at her, sheer boredom evident in his features. He had been the first person to call her mad when she had told him about her most recent social concern.

"Could be because this is probably the most insane project you have ever taken on. And after this SPEW business and your continued insistence of being friends with Potter and the Weasel that says a lot. I understand we all go mad sometimes, but you take madness to a whole new level."

Hermione ignored his comments, already used to them.

"I talked to Ron earlier, and even he won't sign my petition," she complaint instead.

"Huh, looks like the Weasel does have at least some brain floating around in that thick head of his," Draco commented. "Hermione, no person in their right mind will support this."

"Well, you are supporting S.A.M.S.U.F.," Hermione shot back, miffed.

"That's because I want to get laid," Draco explained patiently, as if speaking to a five-year-old. "Weasley knows he won't get any, so he doesn't bother with your crap… I mean, social outcasts of the month."

"Keep talking and _you_ definitely won't get any—for a very long time," Hermione spat back through clenched teeth.

"Aw, Hermione, you know you can't resist me," Draco smirked, but he grabbed her petition out of her hands nonetheless and rang the next doorbell.


	13. Keep Holding On

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any profit with this fic.

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_

**Title:** Keep Holding On**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Word Count:**704**  
Summary:** In times of war fighting is inevitable  
**Warnings:**AU after HBP. Title comes from a song by Avril Lavigne.**  
A/N: **Written for Welcome to My Nightmare: Dramionedrabble's Halloween Challenge 2008. Day 03: Hey, maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but we just got our asses kicked, pal! -- _Aliens_.

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"I say, we take as many Order members as we can muster, and take the bastards out," Ron suggested, earning a few approving nods, but also several sceptic glances from some of the assembled witches and wizards.

"Hey, maybe you haven't been keeping up on current events, but we just got our asses kicked, pal!" Draco commented dryly. "And you want to barge in there and risk even more lives?"

"What's wrong, Malfoy? Are you afraid?" Ron asked. "Or do you just want to avoid us taking down any more of your _friends_?"

"Trust me," Draco spat back sarcastically, "if I were still a Death Eater, I'd have killed you a long time ago."

"Is that so," Ron growled, taking his wand out.

"Yes," Draco said, pointing his own wand at Ron.

"That is enough," Harry shouted warily. "This isn't helping."

Ron and Draco continued to stare murderously at each other, but they lowered their wands.

"Let's consider all our options before making any hasty decisions," Harry suggested in a tone that left no room for argument.

The discussion about their next manoeuvre continued, however, Hermione was barely able to concentrate. Draco had been right; their last mission had been a disaster. Not only had they been unsuccessful in obtaining another Horcrux, but Neville and Tonks had been severely injured during an unexpected fight with several Death Eaters. It would take weeks for them to recover. Seamus hadn't been so fortunate. Dean was presently gone to bring the Finnigans the sad news.

Hermione sighed tiredly, rubbing her side were she had been hit by a stray Blasting Curse during the fight. She had been lucky the hex hadn't been directly aimed at her; otherwise she would have been more seriously injured. Noticing her discomfort, Draco shot her a worried glance, but Hermione shook her head to signal that she was okay, and Draco redirected his attention to the ongoing discussion. He was still arguing heatedly with Ron whether they should attack right away or wait until they had more of an advantage.

It wasn't the first time that those two disagreed on the Order's battle plans. Ron and Draco had been at each others throats ever since Snape had brought Draco to the Order after the Death Eater's attack on Hogwarts, and their fights had only intensified when Hermione and Draco had become romantically involved.

Finally the argument around Hermione came to an end, although without having yielded any actual results. Realising that they were all too exhausted to properly plan their next move, Harry had adjourned their meeting until the next morning. Slowly, the Order members dispersed. Hermione saw Draco heed for the staircase and followed.

"Did you have to get in another fight with Ron?" Hermione asked, once they had reached their room."

"It's not my fault the idiot doesn't know the first thing about tactics," Draco replied.

"Draco…" Hermione sighed.

"What, Hermione?" Draco asked, raising his voice. "I'm tired of it. I'm tired of constantly having to prove I've changed sides—tired of having to explain my every move. Going in a second time would have been suicide, and the Weasel would know it, too, if he had more than a single brain cell."

"Look, you have to understand Ron. It's not exactly easy to trust you—"

"Maybe I shouldn't be mad at the Weasel for constantly second guessing my allegiance if even _you_ have your doubts," Draco spat.

"Draco, you know I didn't mean it like that," Hermione replied, choking down the tears that welt up in her eyes. "Please, let's not fight about this."

"I'm going to take a shower," Draco said, his face a stony mask. Turning away, he went into the bathroom, leaving Hermione alone in their room.

Hermione lay back on the bed, tired, listening to the water run in the adjoining bathroom and to her own ragged breathing. This war was slowly chewing them up from the inside out, and Hermione didn't know how much longer they could last.

By the time Draco came back from his shower, Hermione was already half-asleep. She vaguely registered Draco tugging the covers over her body and laying down beside her, but she was too exhausted to care.


	14. Killing Minerva

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don not intend to make profit with this fic:

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_

**Title:** Killing Minerva**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating: **PG**  
Word Count:**210**  
Summary:** The dangers of having a former Death Eater as your father…**  
Warnings:**AU**  
A/N: **Written for Welcome to My Nightmare: Dramionedrabble's Halloween Challenge 2008. Day 04: No more dead bodies for daddy tonight. – _Grindhouse__

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_

"Daddy, you killed Minerva," six-year-old Ellie accused, tears welling up in her eyes.

Draco's daughter was shocked to the core. Draco locked at his wife for support, but Hermione already had tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart," Draco apologized. "I didn't mean to. It was an accident. I promise I'll fix her."

Taking out his wand, he realised that he had no idea which spell to use in order to re-attach the head to his daughter's favourite doll. Who would have thought those _Barbies_ his in-laws kept giving his daughter would break so easily?

Hermione finally achieved some measure of control over her laughter, enough at least to mouth an incantation at Draco. Picking up on his wife's clue, Draco was quick to magically glue Minerva's head back on to her body and handed the doll back to his daughter.

"There you go, Minerva's all better," he assured. His daughter examined Minerva from head to toe, apparently checking for further injuries. When she was assured that Minerva was in good health, she flashed Draco a smile and then ran off to continue playing.

Draco sighed in relief. Crisis averted. _Thank Merlin for magic. _

"No more dead bodies for daddy tonight," Hermione teased, still laughing. Draco could only nod.


	15. Under Fire

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't intend to make any profit with this fic.

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_

**Title:** Under Fire**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Word Count:**1461**  
Summary:** Every-day life as a member of the Order of the Phoenix and ex-Death Eater.**  
Warnings:**AU, rating is for swearing, pre-romance  
**A/N: **Written for Welcome to My Nightmare: Dramionedrabble's Halloween Challenge 2008. Day 05: We may not enjoy living together, but dying together isn't going to solve anything. -- _Night of the Living Dead_

_Reviews are love.  
_

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Draco ducked behind a headstone, swearing. A jet of green light flew over his head, but Marietta Baumann, beloved wife and mother, provided enough cover from the curse—at least for now.

Gripping his wand tightly in his left hand, Draco looked around trying to find a way to escape the advancing Death Eaters. Their latest mission for the order had gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds, and the future didn't look all that rosy either. Draco sighed and then hissed in pain as the sharp sting in his side revealed that he had managed to bruise his rips when he had dived behind the headstone.

"Bloody brilliant," he muttered.

Another flash of green light flew over his head, missing its target only narrowly. For a brief moment, the curse illuminated the scene around Draco, and he was able to make out a pair of legs three headstones over. They weren't moving.

"Potter is that you?" Draco whispered. He didn't receive an answer.

Straightening up quickly, Draco fired several spells in the general directions of the Death Eaters, attempting to stall them. The angry screams told him that at least a few of his curses had hit home.

Hoping that he had created enough of a diversion, Draco left the shelter of Marietta Baumann's headstone and sprinted to the spot where he had seen the legs. Luck was on his side for once, as the pitch-black night and the tombstones of the Muggle cemetery provided enough cover. Breathing hard, Draco arrived at his destination.

Harry was lying on the ground, unconscious. Draco squatted down beside him.

"Potter, this really isn't the time for a beauty sleep," he whispered, annoyed, shaking Harry's shoulder none too gently. "Get up!"

When Harry didn't move, Draco pointed his wand at him, muttering "_Ennervate!_" Harry's eyes shot open.

"So glad you decided to wake up," Draco hissed, dragging Harry's still sluggish body closer to the nearest headstone just in time before the Death Eaters renewed their fire.

"What's going on?" Harry asked confused, attempting to sit up, but Draco held him down.

"Well, being our wise and fearless leader, you decided that the Order should check out this Muggle cemetery, where supposedly some of dear old Riddle's relatives are buried. Easy job, you said. Strictly recon," Draco explained sarcastically, all the while ducking closer to the headstone when no less than five killing curses flew over their heads.

"As it turns out, Riddle's relatives really are buried here, and being a loving family man, the Dark Lord has installed several protection spells around their graves, alarming the Death Eaters to our uninvited arrival. Any of that ring a bell?"

"Where's Kingsley?" Harry asked as awareness returned, looking around for the third Order member that had accompanied them that night.

Draco shook his head. "The bastards got him right when they arrived. Two Avadas right in the chest. No way he's alive."

Harry didn't have the time to grief for the loss of his friend as right next to them a headstone exploded with a deafening bang, showering them in the debris.

"Any bright idea how we're going to get out of here? The Death Eaters have put up an Anti-Apparition jinx," Draco shouted, firing spell after spell over the top of the headstone covering them, trying to hold off the Death Eaters.

"Let me think," Harry replied through gritted teeth, feeling around for his wand, which he must have dropped when he had been hit.

"Well, hurry up. Cause as much as living with you and the other imbeciles of the Order sucks, I sure as hell don't intend to die out here with you." Draco leaped up for a split second, sending another wave of curses towards the oncoming Death Eaters.

"Nobody invited you anyways," Harry shot back, as his fingers finally closed around the smooth wooden surface of his wand. Not wasting any time, Harry fired several curses at the Death Eaters as well, and then erected a shield charm that protected them from the incoming curses and blocked them from the Death Eater's view.

Trusting that the shield would hold at least for a little while, Harry and Draco held their fire and sat down behind the headstone again, trying to catch their breaths. They could feel the impact of every curse that hit their shield. It wouldn't last long.

"We need to find a way out of here and fast," Harry panted.

"You don't say," Draco drawled.

"I promised Ginny to be careful," Harry said ruefully.

"Potter, do me a bloody favour and stop thinking about the president of your fan club and focus on the problem at hand," Draco said, thoroughly annoyed.

"I just didn't think the cemetery would be this heavily guarded. I can't believe Kingsley is—"

"I think we should throw every hex we know at them and try to make it to the woods at the edge of the cemetery," Draco interrupted. "The Anti-Apparition jinx is likely to only cover the graveyard."

"Running? That's your plan?" Harry asked disbelievingly.

"If you've got a better idea, let's hear it," Draco challenged, but Harry remained silent. Draco was right, they either would have to make a run for it or wait until their shield collapsed and the Death Eaters came for them. The latter one wasn't really an option.

"Besides, I'm not going to stay here and continue listening to your emo-crap," Draco drawled. "Next thing you'll start crying and want to hug."

"Okay, let's do this," Harry sighed, ignoring Draco's jibe and slowly getting to his feet. He found that he couldn't put much weight on his right foot and stumbled to the side. Draco caught hold of him before he hit the ground.

"You going to make it, Potter?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Why, Malfoy, I didn't know you cared," Harry spat back, pushing Draco away.

"I don't," Draco assured, "I just doubt the Order is going to give me a very kind welcome when I return without your scrawny arse in one piece."

"Probably not," Harry agreed, stealing himself for the upcoming race. "Let's go."

Draco gave him a nod, and Harry lowered the shield. Before the Death Eaters had a chance to react, Harry and Draco fired a battalion of curses and spells at them. Then they turned and ran.

Ignoring the pain in his side, Draco ran as fast as he could through the near-black night. He dodged hex upon hex, taking as much cover behind the scattered tombs and trees as he could. Besides him he heard Potter panting.

He just thought that they might actually make it when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry stumbling. Without thinking, he grabbed a hold of Harry's robes and continued dashing forward.

Dragging Harry with him, Draco ran for the tree line, never looking back. As soon as he felt the slight tingle that signalled that they had left the range of the Anti-Apparition jinx, he tightened his hold on Harry and Disapparated in mid-run.

They landed in a heap on the floor of number 12, Grimmauld Place, covered in dirt and blood, and were instantly greeted by Mrs. Black's wailing. Several Order members came running to discover the source of the noise.

"Harry, are you alright?" Ron could be heard shouting over the ruckus of Mrs. Black's screams and the noise of the other arriving Order members.

Harry nodded in affirmation, and let Ginny and Neville help him off the floor. They carefully led a badly limping Harry out of the hall. Most of the order members followed, trying to figure out what had happened.

Draco remained lying on the floor with his eyes closed, desperately trying to catch his breath. Now that the adrenalin was waning, he could feel the pain in his rips and various other aches more pronouncedly.

"Malfoy, are you hurt?" Hermione's voice penetrated the pain induced fog in his brain. Draco reluctantly opened his eyes to see her kneeling down next to him and looking worried.

"I'm fine," he barked, sitting up slowly.

Hermione moved to help him, but Draco swatted her hands away, trying to stand on his own. He somehow managed to get himself into an upright position, but before he could take his first step, the world tilted to an odd angle and he was swaying on his feet.

"Don't be such a baby and let me help you," Hermione snapped, drawing one of his arms around her shoulders and locking her own arm tightly around his waist, steadying him. Realising that he was in no position to argue, Draco let Hermione slowly lead him upstairs.

They didn't notice Ron looking after them, an angry scowl etched on his face.


	16. St Anger

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't intend to make any profit with this fic.

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_

**Title:** St. Anger**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Word Count:**1133**  
Summary:** Once a year Draco Malfoy tyrannizes the employees at the Ministry of Magic—more than usual that is.**  
Warnings:** Post-DH, EWE, Title comes from a song by Metallica**  
A/N: **Written for Welcome to My Nightmare: Dramionedrabble's Halloween Challenge 2008. Day 06: If you do one thing I don't approve of while I'm gone, the LEAST little thing, mind you... I'll show you what horror means! -- _Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_

_Reviews are love. Happy Halloween!  


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"If you do one thing I don't approve of while I'm gone, the LEAST little thing, mind you... I'll show you what horror means!"

Hermione heard Draco's shouting even though her office at the Ministry was on the other end of the hallway and the doors were closed. Sighing, she grabbed her wand and got up from her desk. She stepped out of her office just in time to see Draco exit his own. Hermione caught one glimpse of Draco's crying secretary before he slammed the door shut behind him.

"It's half past eleven, Malfoy," Hermione remarked lightly. "Don't you think it's a little early to be tyrannising the staff?"

"Out of my way, Granger. I'm going to lunch," Draco barked, pushing past Hermione and walking quickly to the elevators. Hermione followed.

"Oh good, I'm feeling a little hungry myself," she said, stepping next to Draco in the lift.

"Granger, are you high?" Draco asked. Hermione saw the tension in his shoulders and the rage in his eyes. He was barely controlling his anger. She thought it wise not to answer.

The elevator stopped on several floors; however, once the waiting people saw Draco's face, they opted to use the staircase. When they finally reached the atrium, Draco left the elevator before the doors were fully opened.

He roughly pushed his way through the crowd, veering towards the visitor's entrance while Hermione ran to catch up with him, smiling apologetically at the disgruntled Ministry employees Draco had left in his wake.

"Quit following me," Draco snapped when Hermione squeezed into the telephone booth beside him.

"Well, somebody will have to make sure you don't kill anyone, considering the mood you're in," she replied dryly.

Draco snorted disgustedly and began to ignore her. Once the telephone booth had risen to street level, he hastened out into Muggle London, walking through the streets blindly. Hermione followed quietly, gripping her wand in the pocket of her cloak, prepared to keep everyone out of harm's way—including Draco—should the need arise. Draco continued walking.

"I thought you wanted to get lunch," Hermione said, trying to distract Draco from his bad mood. She grabbed the back of his robes and pulled him into the nearest fast food restaurant before he had the opportunity to complain and ordered fish and chips to-go for the both of them.

Draco cursed Hermione for being annoyingly pushy, but remained in the restaurant while they waited for their food. Once they had picked up their order, Draco and Hermione left again, and Draco resumed his angry march. He took one bite of his fish and chips and then threw them away.

"Muggle food is disgusting," he grumbled and continued walking at a brisk pace. Hermione followed, eating her food and keeping a watchful eye out for any unsuspecting Muggles who could get in Draco's way. Luckily, the cold November weather didn't allow for many pedestrians.

Once they reached St. James Park it began raining—first only a slight drizzle, which quickly turned into a downpour. Seeing that the park was completely empty, Hermione cast a shielding charm to protect herself from the rain and the cold.

Draco didn't even seem to have noticed the change in weather. He followed a path that circled around the lake in the middle of St. James Park, although Hermione doubted that Draco cared where he was going. His eyes were downcast, and he continued swearing under his breath while he trudged on, his clothes getting completely drenched by the rain.

While thankfully no Muggles were present, the park animals didn't seem to mind the cold or the rain. Hermione saw several squirrels dashing up and down the trees and even a family of ducks, a mother and three little ducklings, crossing the path in front of them. Malfoy aimed a kick at the closest duck, only missing it because Hermione pulled him back in the last second.

"Now really, Malfoy," she admonished. "The poor duckling hasn't done anything to you."

Malfoy jerked free of her grasp and continued walking.

"Do you know what day it is?" he asked.

"Yeah, I do," Hermione answered quietly. It was the third of November, the anniversary of Narcissa Malfoy's death. Draco's mother had been killed the same year that Harry defeated Voldemort. Not all of the Death Eaters had been captured during the battle of Hogwarts, and the few Death Eaters still at large had quickly figured out that Narcissa Malfoy must have lied when she had proclaimed Harry Potter dead. Narcissa's murder had been their revenge.

When Draco began to slow down, Hermione sat on one of the benches near the lake and continued to eat her fish and chips, trying to give Draco some space. Draco stared out on the lake, unseeingly.

"The night before her murder, I was supposed to have dinner with my parents. Only I cancelled because I had better plans," he mumbled.

Not sure whether he was talking to her or himself, Hermione waited.

"It would have been my last opportunity to see her," Draco hissed angrily.

"You couldn't have known," Hermione offered, but Draco didn't seem to hear her.

"The bloody cowards hit her in the back. She didn't even see them coming."

Loosing what little control he had left, Draco began swearing loudly and kicked the edge of the park bench upon which Hermione was sitting—repeatedly—desperately trying to find an outlet for some of his anger. Hermione calmly cast a cushioning charm on the bench so he wouldn't hurt himself.

"This is so fucking unfair," Draco screamed. "She didn't deserve this."

It took a long time until he finally calmed down enough to stop abusing the park bench, but eventually Draco ceased kicking and shouting. Breathing hard, he stood in the rain, his back turned to Hermione, looking out on the lake once more.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy," Hermione said. Draco looked back at her, blinking, as if he had forgotten that she was there.

"Why do you care?" he asked derisively.

"Your mother saved Harry's life that day of the battle," Hermione replied simply.

"She did it to safe me," Draco said, and Hermione could see him shudder.

"Yeah, I know. Harry told me."

Draco sat down on the bench beside Hermione, shoulders slummed. The fight seemed to have completely gone out of him. Hermione extended her shielding charm around Draco as well and magically dried his soaked clothes, so he wouldn't get sick.

"It's just not fair," Draco muttered. Hermione remained quietly sitting by his side.

"You might want to give your secretary a raise if she hasn't quit by tomorrow," Hermione finally said when Draco stayed silent. He snorted.

"She gets one every November."

Hermione smiled.

"Want some?" she asked, offering her half-eaten fish and chips.

"Thanks, Granger."

**a/n:** Reviews are love. I promise no ducklings have been harmed during the writing of this drabble. ;)


	17. Don't Mess With Hermione Granger

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't intend to make any profit with this fic.

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**Title:**Don't Mess With Hermione Granger**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Word Count:**227**  
Summary:** Draco does some re-organizing.**  
Warnings:** Post-DH**  
A/N: **Written for Welcome to My Nightmare: Dramionedrabble's Halloween Challenge 2008. Day 07: I meddled in things that man must leave alone. -- _The Invisible Man_

_Reviews are love!

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_

Hermione was known throughout the Ministry as diligent, efficient and one of the most talented witches at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. It was also a widely known fact that Hermione herself believed that her accomplishments were solely based on her organisational skills and that being prepared was essential to being successful.

Furthermore, every Ministry employee knew that it was suicide to mess with Hermione Granger's alphabetically sorted file system, her colour-coded timetables or worse her cross-referencing catalogue.

Draco Malfoy still delighted in re-organising Hermione's files, sorting them by dress size of the offender rather than alphabetically. He changed all colours of her timetable to green and silver and he especially enjoyed rearranging Hermione's library, exchanging the countless spell books for comics of _The Adventures of Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle_.

It took Hermione less than three seconds to figure out who had wreaked havoc in her office, the Slytherin colours and the sheer audacity of the act being a dead giveaway. She immediately marched over to Draco's office, giving him a lecture that would have caused lesser wizards to wet themselves in fear.

Draco, however, had always thought that she was at her most attractive when infuriated, and even as he enjoyed the sight of Hermione's angrily heaving chest and the dangerous gleam in her eyes, he contemplated how best to disarrange her cross-referencing catalogue.


	18. Even bad wolves can be good

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the song, and I don't make any money with this fic.

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Title: Even Bad Wolves Can Be Good  
Author: kalina_blue  
Rating: PG  
Word Count: 355  
Summary: Draco and Hermione go trick-or-treating with their daughter.  
Warnings: Post-DH, EWE  
A/N: Here's my Halloween drabble for sbradley1987. She asked for Draco singing/saying the song "Li'l Red Riding Hood" (sung by Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs). I hope you like it. Thanks to eloquentquill and ashtonb for looking this over.

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"Mummy, daddy, look what I've got." Five year old Ellie Malfoy came running towards her parents, showing them her bag of goodies proudly a goofy grin plastered on her face.

"Wow, honey, that's a lot of candy," Hermione praised her daughter.

"Ready to go home, princess?" Draco asked hopefully.

"One more house, daddy," little Ellie begged, with puppy dog eyes, and when her father nodded his consent, she ran up the next driveway, the wings of her butterfly costume flapping behind her.

"Do you still think we should have just bought her candy at the store and be done with it?" Hermione asked her husband as they watched their daughter happily ring the doorbell.

"It would have been more convenient than walking around from house to house in your parents' neighbourhood all evening," Draco replied.

"Sure, sure," Hermione smiled, watching Draco watch their daughter, who was currently holding out her bag to the elderly lady that had answered the door.

"You know, it wouldn't have killed you to get dressed up, too," she said, adjusting the cape of her Little Red Riding Hood costume.

"I'm dressed up as a Muggle, quit nagging," Draco snapped, though his voice lacked much of the bite of his younger years.

"Draco, that doesn't count. We're in a Muggle neighbourhood," Hermione admonished.

"So?"

Hermione just rolled her eyes.

They watched their daughter running down the driveway again, meeting a couple of other kids and happily comparing her haul with them.

"_Hey there Little Red Riding Hood_

_You sure are looking good_

_You're everything that a big bad wolf could want."_

"Draco Malfoy, are you singing Halloween songs?" Hermione asked bemused.

"I'm not singing, I'm humming," Draco defended. "And it's your fault, really. You were playing that stupid song all day, and now I can't get it out of my head."

"Admit it, you like celebrating Halloween," Hermione grinned.

"What I like is that your parents are going to baby-sit Ellie tonight and we get a celebration of our own," Draco said, pecking his wife on the lips.

"Liar," she whispered, taking his arm and together with Ellie they walked home.


	19. Candyman

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or Candyman, and I don't intend to make any profit with this.

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Title: Candyman  
Author: kalina_blue  
Rating: PG-13  
Word Count: 173  
Summary: Draco and Hermione's daughter has been listening to Muggle music.  
Warnings: Post-DH, EWE  
A/N: This one is the Halloween drabble for nu_luba. She prompted me with 'Candyman' by Christina Aguilera. Thank you, eloquentquill, for your excellent suggestions.

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_He's a sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man_

Draco stopped dead in his tracks when he heard the softly sung words. He wasn't a big fan of Muggle music to begin with, but his wife's taste in music seemed to be particularly bad—even for a Muggleborn. However, while he grudgingly tolerated Hermione's obscure music preferences, this was just too much.

_He had lips like sugar cane_

Draco stared at his four-year-old daughter, singing quietly to herself while sorting through the load of candy she had harvested during the previous night's trick-or-treating.

_Sweet sugar candy man_

Rationally, Draco knew that his sweet, innocent princess thought that the song was about candy. He also knew that he only had a few more years before he needed to clear a patch in the manor's rose garden to hide the bodies of potential boyfriends.

_He's a one stop shop, makes my cherry pop_

_A__ sweet-talkin', sugar coated candy man_

That did not help at all, though.

_He's a one stop shop with a real big uh_

"Hermione!"


	20. Hidden Beginning

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't make any profit with this fic._

_

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_

**Title:** Hidden Beginning**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating: **PG-13**  
Summary: **A (very) short piece showing how a secret relationship between Hermione and Draco could be like.**  
Warnings:** Post-DH, EWE.  
**A/N: **After my stupid computer crashed and I lost several thousand words of my ongoing stories, I just needed something light to get me back in the mood for writing. Reviews are love.

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"That was close!" Hermione breathed a sigh of relieve. "I told you we shouldn't meet at my office."

Draco stepped away from his spot at the door, behind which he had been hiding when that insufferably annoying Potter had stuck his head into Hermione's office.

"Oh, please," he sneered. "You're so scared about anyone finding out about us, you're going to give yourself a heart attack one of these days."

"You aren't exactly dying to tell Mummy and Daddy about your newest girlfriend either, so shut the hell up," Hermione shot back, sinking down at the chair behind her desk.

"Come on, Granger, you need to learn how to relax," Draco mocked, stepping behind her chair. He started to run his hands over the base of her neck and her shoulders, gently kneading her tense muscles.

"Stop calling me by my last name," Hermione demanded, although she didn't push his hands away.

"What's the difference?" Draco asked, bored.

"The difference is that I'm not in the habit of sleeping with people who I'm not on a first-name basis with," Hermione answered, closing her eyes when Draco increased the pressure on her shoulders.

"Well, in that case, _Hermione_," Draco whispered into her ear," I'll see you tonight."

He Apparated out of her office before Hermione had the chance to come up with a suitable reply.

"Arrogant bastard," Hermione mumbled, somewhat fondly, before returning to her work.


	21. The Games We Play

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and I don't make any profit with this fic._

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Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 205  
**Summary: **The drawbacks of a secret relationship.  
**Warnings:** Post-DH, established relationship  
**A/N: **Written for the 10 Songs Challenge. The Song is _Every Morning_ by Sugar Ray.

* * *

_Every morning there's a halo hangin  
from the corner of my girlfriend's four post bed  
I know it's not mine but I'll see if I can use it for  
the weekend or a one-night stand  
Couldn't understand  
How to work it out  
Once again as predicted left my broken heart open  
and you ripped it out_

"You're bringing a date to your mother's Christmas party?" Hermione asked shocked, wrapping the sheets closer around her body.

"Of course. If I don't, mother is bound to set me up with one of her friends' daughters, all of which are plain-locking, dull wallflowers, who I'd hate to have to talk to, let alone spend the whole evening with," Draco explained, getting up from the bed and searching for his clothes. Hermione remained on the bed.

"So you have a date?" she asked again, still dumbfounded.

"Didn't I just say that?" Draco asked irritated, buttoning his shirt.

"Well, yes…" Hermione conceded.

"What's your problem? It's not like _you _want to be my date for my mother's Christmas party, since _you _don't want anyone to know we're in a relationship. Right?"

"Right." Hermione watched helplessly as Draco put on his shoes.

"I see you tomorrow then," he said, once he was finished, bending down to give her a quick kiss.

"Who is it?" Hermione asked before he left.

"Who?" Draco asked, stopping at the door.

"Your date for the party," Hermione clarified, chewing her bottom lip nervously.

"Oh that. I'm taking Pansy," Draco replied, turning around and leaving Hermione's bedroom before she could see him smirking.


	22. Sunday Confession

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and i don't make any profit with this fic. _

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**T****itle:** Sunday Confession**  
Rating:** PG-13**  
Word Count: **599**  
Summary: **Harry and Hermione have a confession to make.**  
Warnings:** Post-DH  
**A/N: **Written for the 10 Songs Challenge. The Song is _I'm Bad_ by Michael Jackson.

* * *

_The Word Is Out  
You're Doin' Wrong  
Gonna Lock You Up  
Before Too Long._

"This is a bad idea, Harry," Hermione hissed, pulling him behind one of the bushes in the Weasley's front yard.

"Hermione, this was_ your_ idea," Harry said, exasperated, though he was just as reluctant to enter the Burrow as Hermione was. "You said that it was time we stopped lying, that we should come clean. After all the Weasley's practically adopted the both of us."

"I know what I said," Hermione answered, wringing her hands. "But I've been thinking. They won't approve, no matter how much in love we are."

"You don't know that," Harry said. "They love us, and I'm sure they will eventually accept our choices, even though they might be a bit shocked at the beginning."

"_A bit_?" Hermione screeched. Harry hurriedly shushed her, so the Weasleys' wouldn't hear them before they were ready to face them.

"A bit?" Hermione repeated, her voice lower, but sounding just as panicked. "Harry, they will completely freak out. Ron will explode for sure. Molly will be scandalized. I expect Ginny might start using her _Bad-Bogey-Hex_ on at least one of us…"

"Yeah… maybe you are right… it's a bit soon to tell them…" Harry nodded. He didn't particularly fancy being on the receiving end of Ginny's wand. "Lets—"

"Harry, Hermione, how are you?" a familiar voice boomed. Hermione and Harry turned around, only to find George standing right behind them.

"Fine," Hermione squeaked.

"Good," Harry mumbled.

"Awesome." George grinned. "Now do you mind telling me why we are hiding behind the bushes in my mother's garden?"

"Well, you see…" Hermione began, but than trailed off, looking at Harry for help.

"…we were just admiring Molly's style of gardening," Harry finished lamely, avoiding looking at George's face at all costs.

"Gardening?" George asked. "You sure I didn't interrupt anything else?"

Hermione and Harry shook their head in unison, trying their best to appear innocent.

"Well, if you say so." George shook his head sceptically. "Are you done inspecting the bushed now? Cause I'm starving and Sunday lunch should be just about to start."

"Sure," Hermione answered weakly. Having no other choice, Harry and Hermione followed George into the Burrow.

They were the last to arrive. Everyone else was already assembled around the table. Molly had just begun to serve lunch when Harry, Hermione and George entered the crowded kitchen.

"There you are, my dears," Molly shouted over the clatter of the dishes. "Have a seat."

They joined the others at the table, and everyone began eating.

* * *

After he had finished his third helping of pudding, George leaned back on his seat, smacking his lips in satisfaction.

"Excellent lunch, Mum," he praised. "Now, I believe, Harry and Hermione have an announcement to make."

Harry choked on his last bite of pudding, and Hermione paled visibly.

"And don't even try to mention _gardening_," George advised, smirking. "Nobody is going to fall for that."

"Errr…" Harry mumbled.

"You see—" Hermione started, but didn't continue.

"Whatever it is, please tell me you are not dating each other," Ginny finally pleaded when neither Harry nor Hermione managed to get a full sentence out. .

Harry and Hermione looked at her scandalized.

"What? Nooo!"

"Ewww, he's like a brother to me."

Looking around the table, Harry and Hermione realised that Ginny hadn't been the only one to think they were a couple.

"I'm sort of dating Draco Malfoy," Hermione finally burst out.

"And I'm going out with Oliver Wood," Harry added.

The entire Weasley family was staring at them wide-eyed.

"I think, I'd prefer you dating each other after all," Ginny mumbled weakly.


	23. She Didn't Know

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and i don't make any profit with this fic._

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**T****itle:** She Didn't Know**  
Rating:** PG-13**  
Word Count:** 100**  
Summary: **Even Hermione doesn't know everything.**  
Warnings:** Post-DH  
**A/N: **Written for the 10 Songs Challenge. The Song is _The Saints Are Coming_ by U2 and Greenday.

* * *

_I say no matter how I try, I realise there's no reply.  
_

"What do you want from me, Hermione?" Draco asked angrily.

"I don't know," she shouted back, and it wasn't a lie. She didn't know what she wanted out of this twisted relationship. She didn't know how they could make it work. Merlin, she didn't even know anymore why they were fighting. Again.

All she could do was look at him helplessly, hands balled into fists and tears streaming down her face; hoping that they would make it through.

Because she didn't know. She didn't have the answers. All she knew was that she needed him—that they needed each other.


	24. Missing You

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and i don't make any profit with this fic._

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**T****itle:** Missing You**  
****Rating:** PG-13**  
Word Count:** 467**  
Summary: **Time goes a lot slower when you are waiting.**  
****Warnings:** Post-DH, established relationship  
**A/N: **Written for the 10 Songs Challenge. The Song is _With You _by Linkin Park. My first thought when reading the lyrics was that this is going to be a sad drabble, possibly even containing character death. I honestly don't know how I ended up with almost 500 words of nothing but fluff.

* * *

_The sound of your voice  
Painted on my memories  
Even if you're not with me  
I'm with you  
_

"The situation of house-elves in Great Britain is still alarmingly—," Hermione stopped reading mid sentence, stealing another look at the clock on her desk. Thirty minutes until it was time to leave work.

"The situation of—" How could it still be thirty minutes? Hermione reached over, checking if the clock was still working. It didn't seem to be broken.

"…house-elves in Great—" Maybe it was just going slower than it was supposed to. There couldn't possibly be 29 minutes left before she was free to leave.

Hermione cast a speaking clock spell, just to make sure. Unfortunately, the spell agreed with the damn clock on her desk. She'd have to wait for another 28 minutes and 30 seconds. Not that she was counting.

"The situation—" Hermione threw the paper on the desk, disgusted with herself. She was an independent, successful woman, who would not go all jittery just because her boyfriend had come back from a ten-day long business trip and had promised to meet her right after work. She was her own person; her happiness did not depend on some guy.

And how come it was still 27 minutes until the end of the day?

She was pathetic. This would not do. He'd tease her mercilessly if he found her in this state.

Giving up all pretence of actual work, Hermione began rearranging her colour-coded timetable. This had never failed to calm her down before.

It didn't actually work this time, but at least she had killed another four minutes. And she looked busy while doing it. 23 more minutes to go. Hermione began re-organizing the drawers in her desk. 17 minutes left. Her pencils needed sharpening.

A knock interrupted Hermione when she was separating her paper clips by colour. She glanced at her clock. There were still ten minutes left. If one of her co-workers wanted her to do something that would take more than nine minutes and thirty seconds, they'd just have to wait until the next day.

"Come in," she called.

The door opened immediately, and Draco Malfoy stepped into the office.

"Hey, you're early." Hermione smiled, dropping the last paper clips back into the bowl and stepping around her desk to greet him.

"Yeah, I finished up early," he answered, bending down to give his girlfriend a kiss.

"You think you can leave already?" he asked.

"Of course. I was busy the whole day, but I'm sure I can leave a couple of minutes early."

Draco took one look at her pristine desk, smirking.

"Sure you were," he said, waiting until Hermione had put on her cloak, and then putting an arm around her waist, leading her out of the office.

"I missed you, too," he remarked casually.

Together they left work at exactly seven minutes before five.


	25. Never Nice

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and i don't make any profit with this fic._

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**T****itle:**Never Nice**  
Rating:** PG-13**  
Word Count:** 100**  
Summary: **Sometimes you just have to face the truth.**  
Warnings:** Post-DH  
**A/N: **Written for the 10 Songs Challenge. The Song is _I Don't Want To Be_ by Gavin DeGraw. Revies are love!

* * *

_I'm tired of looking 'round rooms  
Wondering what I've got to do  
Or who I'm supposed to be  
I don't want to be anything other than me_

"Can't you just try to be nice to them?"

"No!"

"But, please, just..."

"I don't do nice. You knew that about me, and you knew that I wouldn't change. I hate Potter and the whole Weasel clan, and I'm pretty sure the feeling is mutual. So don't try to force something that will never happen."

"But…"

"No, Hermione. I mean it. I won't ever get along with your friends. I won't even try and neither will they. You need to decide if you can live with that or if you want out of this relationship.

"Draco…"

"That's what I thought."


	26. Acceptance

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and i don't make any profit with this fic._

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**T****itle:** Acceptance**  
Rating:** PG-13**  
Word Count:** 100**  
Summary: **Harry and Ron's reaction when Hermione tells them she is dating Draco Malfoy.**  
Warnings:** Post-DH  
**A/N: **Written for the 10 Songs Challenge. The Song is _The Seed 2.0_ by The Roots.

* * *

_I don't ask for much, but enough room to spread my wings_

"I need you two to accept my decision," Hermione pleaded.

"But, Hermione, it's Malfoy," Ron shouted, staring at her disbelievingly.

"I know that," Hermione answered calmly.

"Don't you remember what he was like at Hogwarts?" Harry asked incredulously. "He can't be trusted."

"I remember, and I'm not asking you to trust him. I'm asking you to trust me. Can you do that?"

Harry and Ron looked at Hermione helplessly. How could they not.

"Thank you, boys. It means a lot," Hermione said relieved.

"Does this mean we have to be nice to him?" Ron asked.

Hermione just rolled her eyes.


	27. Fleeting Moments

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, and i don't make any profit with this fic.

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**T****itle:** Fleeting Moments**  
Rating:** PG-13**  
Word Count:** 100**  
Summary: **There is nothing more precious than a fleeting moment of happiness during times of war.**  
Warnings:** AU, Draco joined the Order  
**A/N: **Written for the 10 Songs Challenge. The Song is _Can You Feel The Love Tonight_ by Elton John.

* * *

_An enchanted moment, and it sees me through  
It's enough for this restless warrior just to be with you_

Hermione rested her forehead against the cool window, watching raindrops splash against the glass on the other side. She was sad and exhausted.

But then a warm body pressed against her back, strong arms encircling her body. Hermione leaned into the embrace, enjoying the closeness. It wasn't much, but in these days it was enough to make her happy.

"I need to leave," the man behind her whispered. Hermione nodded, not yet ready to let the moment go. Because when you are in love with a Death Eater and spy, fleeting moments of happiness are all you can hope for.


	28. Clothes For Christmas

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

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* * *

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**Title:** Clothes For Christmas**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 284  
**Summary:** Draco wants to know what he will get for Christmas.  
**Warnings:** Post-DH, established relationship  
**A/N:** Written for the Christmas Challenge at dramionedrabble. My quote was: For every little boy who opens a package Christmas morning and finds clothes instead of toys. It breaks my heart. - _Jingle all the Way_

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* * *

  
_

"Draco Malfoy, what on earth are you doing?" Hermione asked bemused. She had just finished bringing their daughter to bed only to find her husband sitting under the Christmas tree, a green package with his name in his hand. He was shaking it, obviously trying to guess what it was.

"Hermione, did you give me clothes?" Draco asked appalled. "This feels like clothes."

"Honestly, Draco. I expected that I'd have to chase Ellie away from the presents, but you are worse than her. You'll just have to wait until Christmas morning to find out what I got for you."

"But you didn't really get me clothes, right? That'd would kind of suck."

"I actually did." Hermione grinned. "But I promise you'll like them."

"I doubt that," Draco replied, scowling, giving the present another experimental shake.

"Merlin, Draco, were you this impatient as a kid as well? How did your mother keep you away from the presents?" Hermione asked exasperated.

"Oh, I always knew what I'd get. I'd just make up a list of all the toys I wanted, and my mother sent out a house-elf to get them."

"That's unbelievably sad. The best part about opening a present is the surprise," Hermione commented. "Also, explains why you were such a spoiled brat at school."

"At least I never got any clothes. You aren't really going to make me wear them if I really hate them, are you?"

"Oh, I never said you'd be the one wearing the clothes. Just do me the favour and don't open that present in front of our daughter." Hermione left the living-room, smiling to herself, while Draco was frantically shaking the green package, trying to get a look inside.


	29. Sneezing Kneazle

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

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**Title:** Sneezing Kneazle  
**Author:** kalina_blue  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 200  
**Summary:** Draco and Hermione are late for Narcissa's Christmas party.  
**Warnings:** Post-DH, established relationship  
**A/N:** Written for the Christmas Challenge at dhr_xmasfic. On the First Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me... _One Sneezing Kneazle_.

* * *

"Hermione, hurry up, would you. We're late for my mother's Christmas party," Draco shouted. He was already standing at the door of their apartment, wearing his dress robes and a scowl. His mother disliked tardiness almost as much as manual labour, and she'd let him feel her disapproval the whole night if they'd arrive late.

"I'm almost ready," Hermione shouted back. She had given him the same reply five minutes ago, and Draco was getting impatient.

"Hermione—" Draco stopped shouting abruptly when Hermione finally hurried out of their bedroom, wearing dark green dress robes. "You look beautiful," Draco said, his mother momentarily forgotten.

"Thank you," Hermione smiled. "I'm sorry I'm so late, but I had to take Crookshanks to the vet today. I thought he might be sick."

"Yeah, yeah, let's just get going. I doubt my mother would accept one sneezing kneazle as valid excuse for tardiness."

"Half-kneazle, actually." Hermione grinned. "And I didn't know you were so afraid of your mother."

"I'm not." Draco shot back, ushering her out of the door. "I'm afraid of what I'll do if the woman nags me the whole evening. I hear it's bad manners to hex your mother on Christmas."


	30. Fighting Chance

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

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**Title:** Fighting Chance  
**Author:** kalina_blue  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 625  
**Summary:** Hermione and Draco on the way to their execution, to tell the wizarding world about their relationship.  
**Warnings:** AU where Draco joined the Order after 6th year. Takes place a couple of years after the War.  
**A/N:** Second drabble written for the Christmas Challenge at dramionedrabble. My quote was: We came here to rob them and that's what we're gonna do - beat their heads in, gouge their eyes out, slash their throats. Soon as we wash the dishes. - _We're No Angels_ (I've been assured that this is indeed a quote from a Christmas movie. I'll have to take drcjsnider's word for it.)

* * *

"You're not trying to free the house-elves again, are you?" Draco asked when he found Hermione hiding in the kitchens. "Cause five minutes before the Winter Ball starts is not the time to aggravate them."

"No, I was just trying to see if there's anything I can do to help," Hermione said nervously. A passing house-elf heard her and shot her a dirty look, obviously insulted by the mere suggestion that the elves wouldn't be able to cope with their workload and required help.

"I'm sure they've got it all covered," Draco said, amused. "I've never seen you this scared before and we've fought a war together."

"Aren't you worried at all?" Hermione asked disbelievingly.

"Why? Only because I'm about to walk into a room full of battle-scarred Order members, who pretty much all hate me despite the fact that I have renounced Voldemort and spied for their side at huge personal risk, and tell them that I'm dating their princess? Nah, I'm not worried."

"Whose idea was it anyways to tell everyone that we're together at the Ministry's winter ball?" Hermione asked, wringing her hands.

"Yours, I believe. Something about telling everybody at once, thereby getting it over with quickly." Draco said, leading her through the halls towards the ballroom.

"I can't believe you're not the least bit worried," Hermione said.

"Well, I drank half a bottle of Firewhiskey while getting dressed," Draco admitted. "I might have been slightly nervous before that."

"You think that was wise?" Hermione asked. "I've got a feeling you're going to need all your reflexes. Being drunk might slow you down."

The fact alone that delayed reflexes were the only reasons why Hermione was objecting to his drinking showed Draco just how nervous she really was. He couldn't blame her. He hadn't exaggerating when he had said that most people hated him already. Therefore, he had nothing to loose, except maybe his physical integrity, whereas Hermione desperately wanted the approval of her friends and family.

"Don't worry. I fought most my battles whilst being inebriated," he assured her, the irony not lost on him. They were comparing fighting Death Eaters to telling their friends about their relationship—well, Hermione's friends. "Just don't dump me when Potthead and the Weasel beg you to come to your senses."

"You know I won't." Hermione said.

"This is ridiculous. We should not be scared. It's not like we are about to confess to murder or something!" Draco exclaimed, running a hand through his hair distractedly.

"I think Ron and Harry would actually prefer I turn into the next Dark Lord as long as I don't date you while murdering innocent Muggle," Hermione replied.

"Yeah, you're right. They are going to hex us—or at least me." Draco grimaced. "But on the upside, you are supposedly the smartest witch of our age, and I've learned duelling from Bellatrix Lestrange and the Dark Lord himself. What can a bunch of Order members do?"

"Draco, there are almost a thousand guests invited. It's not just order members, but also their friend's and families, the entire high society of wizarding Britain, the press and selected ambassadors from abroad. I'd say we're slightly outnumbered!"

"Good, gives them a fighting chance," Draco said, grinning. Hermione saw how he adjusted his wand in his sleeve, so it would be in his hand at a moments notice.

"How much Firewhiskey did you say you drank?" she asked, but checked her own wand as well. The best defence was always a strong offence. She had learned that the hard way during the War. At least the surprise element was on their side.

Draco just smirked, grapping her hand in his and pushing the doors to the ballroom open.

"Let's take them down!"


	31. Meddling Mothers

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title:** Meddling Mothers  
**Author:** kalina_blue  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 250  
**Summary:** Hermione and Draco's wedding preparations don't go as smoothly as they had hoped.  
**Warnings:** Post-DH, established relationship  
**A/N:** Written for the Christmas Challenge at dhr_xmasfic, Day 02. On the Second Day of Christmas My True Love Gave to Me... _Two Meddling Mothers_.

* * *

"I just got back from Molly's. She said that all her children had gotten married in the backyard of the Burrow, and that she would be honoured to host my wedding as well. It was rather touching," Hermione said, flopping down next to her fiancé on the couch.

"Great," Draco replied. "However, my mother insists we get married at Malfoy Manor. Apparently it's a long standing family tradition. Oh, and she says the flowers you picked out were tacky."

Hermione began messaging her temples. "I didn't pick the flowers, Molly did. I wanted daisies, but Molly said that wouldn't be a good choice for a wedding, so we went with roses."

"Well, mother insists on lilies," Draco said, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"So, no matter what we do, somebody is going to get mad at us," Hermione surmised.

"And I thought that facing the Dark Lord had been terrifying. But compared to two meddling mothers, the guy looks about as scary as a flubberworm."

"This is ridiculous," Hermione groaned. "I thought this was supposed to be the happiest day of our life, not the one of our friends and families."

"Well, all I need is you, in a white dress, promising to spend the rest of your life with me. We could elope right now, and I'd be happy," Draco said.

Hermione looked at her fiancé for a moment and then took out her wand, changing her simple clothes to a floor-length, white dress.

"Ready when you are!"


	32. Married to a Librarian

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title:** Married to a Librarian**  
Author:** kalina_blue**  
Rating:** PG-13**  
Word Count:** 280  
**Summary:** Draco visits his wife at work.  
**Warnings:** Post-DH, EWE, established relationship  
**A/N:** Third drabble written for the Christmas Challenge at dramionedrabble. My quote was: Not in the restricted section. Happy Christmas. - _Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone_

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* * *

  
_

"I still can't believe I'm married to a librarian," Draco announced, shaking his head, as he walked into the library at Hogwarts.

Hermione looked up from her work. "I can't believe I'm married to _you_," she shot back.

"Count yourself lucky," Draco replied, leaning forward and giving his wife a peck on the lips.

Hermione pulled back before he had the chance to deepen the kiss.

"Draco, there are students here," she admonished.

"Really?" Draco looked around and spotted a few Ravenclaws at a nearby table. "Who in Merlin's name goes to the library the day before Christmas?"

"Shh, they might hear you." Hermione hit his arm lightly.

"I can't be the first one to tell them that they are nerds. It's sort of their house motto."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "What are you doing here, Draco? You know I don't get off work for another hour."

"Yeah, well, I finished up my meetings early and got bored."

"How romantic. And here I thought you only missed me," Hermione replied sarcastically.

"Of course, I missed you," Draco said, pulling Hermione closer again. "I always do."

Hermione enjoyed their kiss for a minute before remembering where they were. She pulled away again.

"Draco, there are students in the library," she repeated sternly.

"Not in the restricted section," Draco pointed out, wiggling his eyebrows.

Hermione was about to tell her husband that he was utterly impossible when she noticed the Ravenclaw standing right behind Draco.

"I-I was going to return this book," the wide-eyed sixth-year stammered, putting a book on Hermione's desk. "Merry Christmas." The student left the library hurriedly.

"I think he heard what you said," Hermione said weakly. Draco smirked.


	33. Hot Chocolate

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title:** Hot Chocolate  
**Author:** kalina_blue  
**Rating:** PG-13  
**Word Count:** 100  
**Summary:** Heartache and Christmas don't mix very well.  
**Warnings:** Post-DH  
**A/N:** The fifth drabble written for the Christmas Challenge at dramionedrabble. All I want, is peace and quiet. And my hot chocolate. - _Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas_

Also, check out my new, multi-chapter Dramione story, called _Constantly Draco_.

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"You sure you don't want to come? Mum would love to have you for Christmas. We all would."

"Thanks, Ginny, but all I want, is peace and quiet. And my hot chocolate."

"Okay, but promise if you change your mind, you'll Floo to the Burrow."

Hermione nodded, although Ginny had little hope that Hermione would join them after all.

"If it's any consolation, I think Malfoy is a dumb git to think he's ever going to find a witch better than you."

Hermione continued to stare miserably into the cup in her hands, and Ginny finally gave up and Disapparated.


	34. Dramwise the Hairy

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title:** Dramwise the Hairy  
**Author:** kaina_blue  
**Rating:** PG  
**Word Count:** 186  
**Summary:** Hermione and Draco are going to a costume party.  
**Warnings:** Post-DH  
**A/N:** Written for the warm-up challenge at dramione_ldws. I'd like to point out that this is all pokeystar's fault. She's the one who posted this prompt. ;)

* * *

"HERMIONE!"

"There's no need to yell, I'm standing right next to you and I'm not deaf. At least I wasn't before you started yelling right into my ear," Hermione huffed, putting the finishing touches on her outfit, a straight gathered tube skirt, a tight bodice and an apron.

"But I have hairy feet!" Draco whined, looking at his own feet in disgust.

"That's because you are a Hobbit," Hermione explained patiently. "Hobbits have hairy feet. See, I've got them, too." She showed her rather large and hairy feet to Draco.

"That's disgusting. I should have never let you chose our costumes for the Ministry's charity fundraiser."

"I think Hobbits are cute." Hermione defended her choice of costume.

"That's because you are crazy." Draco rolled his eyes.

"Don't be a spoilsport. This is going to be so much fun." Hermione gushed excitedly. "Remember, if anyone asks, you are Dramwise Mamgee, a gardener and I'm Hermrosie Granger-Cotton."

"I'm a plebeian? That's it. I'm not going!" Draco crossed his arms defiantly.

"Draco Malfoy, get your hairy butt out of this door, right now!"

"YOU CHARMED MY BUTT HAIRY TOO?!?"


	35. Happy Birthday To Me

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **Happy Birthday To Me  
**Author: **kalina_blue  
**Rating: **PG  
**Word Count: **100  
**Summary: **It's time to open the birthday presents.  
**Warnings: **Post-DH, established relationship  
**A/N: **Written for rules_of_jinx. Happy Birthday, hun. Hope you have a great day.

* * *

"I've got something for you," Draco announced, holding out a present to his surprised girlfriend.

"Draco, it's _your_ birthday. Why are you giving _me_ a present?" Hermione asked perplexed.

"Just open it," Draco replied impatiently.

Hermione took the small box and opened it. Inside was a diamond engagement ring. Hermione's breath caught in her throat.

"Hermione Granger, will you marry me?" Draco asked seriously.

"Yes, of course." Hermione's hands trembled as Draco put the ring on her finger.

"Told you the best birthday presents are always the ones you get for yourself," Draco said before leaning in to kiss her.


	36. Like Mother, Like Daughter

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **Like Mother, Like Daughter  
**Author: **kalina_blue  
**Rating: **PG  
**Pairings: **Scorpius/Rose, Draco/Hermione (mentioned)  
**Word Count: **100  
**Summary: **Rose has finally admitted to her mother that she's dating a Malfoy. It didn't quite go as planned.  
**Warnings: **Post-DH, sort of epilogue compliant  
**A/N: **Written for drcjsnider. Happy Birthday. Have a great day and lots of cake.

* * *

"This is a disaster," Rose wailed.

"I thought it went rather well," Scorpius disagreed. "I mean, you were always afraid your mother would be mad when you admit you're dating a Malfoy, but she didn't get angry at all."

"Yeah," Roses snapped. "Because she was busy snogging your father when we came in to tell her!"

"Okay—maybe things could've gone a bit better," Scorpius relented, shuddering at the thought of seeing his father with his hopefully-one-day-future-mother-in-law.

"Ya think?!" Rose snorted.

"Let's look at the bright side, though," Scorpius suggested. "We won't have to tell my family about us anymore."


	37. Hoppy Pot Remix

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **Hoppy Pot Remix  
**Author: **kalina_blue  
**Rating: **PG  
**Word Count: **801  
**Summary: **Hermione is out late, and Draco has to look after their daughter.  
**Warnings: **Post-DH, _SPOILERS:_ The Wizard And The Hopping Pot (including Dumbledore's notes) from The Tales of Beedle the Bard.  
**A/N: **Telperaca asked for a fic for her birthday (I'm a bit late). I almost wrote a Supernatural drabble, but than chickened out. :) I wrote Dramione instead.

* * *

Draco looked up from his desk when he heard a noise. His five year old daughter was standing at the door to the library, wearing her favourite cupcake pjs and clutching her teddy-bear to her chest.

"What are you doing up, Princess?" he asked surprised. "It's time to sleep."

"Mommy always reads me a story before I go to bed," little Ellie Malfoy said, her eyes pleading.

Draco got up. "But only one story," he said while walking towards the shelves, searching for a book suitable for his daughter. Grabbing _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_, Draco sat down on the couch in front of the fire place. Ellie immediately snuggled up to her dad, and Draco began to read:

_"There was once a kindly old wizard who used his magic generously and wisely for the benefit of his neighbours. But the ghastly Muggles in his neighbourhood were jealous of his talents and one day they came with pitchforks and torches, demanding that the innocent wizard would surrender his wand and come with them._

_The old wizard was deeply shocked because he had been nothing but nice to his dim-witted Muggle neighbours. However, his Hopping Pot…"_

"Daddy, you're doing it all wrong," Ellie interrupted. Draco stopped reading and looked at his daughter.

"What am I doing wrong?" he asked confused.

"The story!" Ellie said.

"I'm just reading it…" Draco said bewildered.

"Maybe you're reading it wrong," Ellie suggested, peering at the pages.

"I assure you I know how to read," Draco said warily.

"But I want the real Hoppy Pot. With the nice Muggles," Ellie demanded, tears in her eyes, her bottom lip sticking out. "I want it, want it, want it."

Draco looked at his little daughter helplessly. He knew that tone well. It was the tone that had his mother laugh out loud when she had heard Ellie use it for the first time, proclaiming that divine justice existed after all.

"Sweetheart, I don't know what story you're talking about. This is _The Wizard and the Hopping Pot_. I'm sure. My mother used to read it to me when I was your age," Draco tried to placate his daughter.

"Mommy reads it different," Ellie pouted.

"How does mommy read it?"

"There's the nice wizard, and he helps all the Muggles," Ellie explained. "But his son is a meanie."

"And what happens then?" Draco gently prodded.

Ellie scrunched up her nose, trying to remember all the details from her favourite story. "The Hoppy Pot starts jumping, and the son is really angry."

"Alright, and then?" Draco asked, putting his copy of _The Tales of Beedle the Bard_ away.

Ellie ended up telling her own bedtime story, and by the time she told her dad all about how the son of the nice wizard helped the Muggles after all, her eyelids were drooping and she fell asleep.

Relieved, Draco carefully carried his sleeping daughter into her room, where he made sure that she was safely tugged underneath the covers before turning off the lights. He was just about to leave when he noticed her book shelve. Curiously, he walked over. Even in the sparse moonlight, he recognized the familiar title of the most famous wizarding fairy-tale collection.

Taking Ellie's well-worn copy of Beedle's Tales with him, Draco returned to the library.

By the time Hermione got home, Draco was sleeping on the couch in the library, the open book on his chest. He didn't even wake up when Hermione levitated him to their room.

-----

Draco awoke the next morning, pleasantly surprised to find himself in his own bed next to his sleeping wife.

"Good morning," he mumbled when Hermione opened her eyes.

"Morning. How did it go last night? You were pretty out of it when I got home," Hermione said, yawning.

"Just great." Draco replied sarcastically, sitting up and getting out of bed. "Our daughter now believes I can't read."

Hermione couldn't suppress a giggle. "How did you manage to make her think that?"

"Apparently I was reading the _Hoppy Pot_ all wrong," Draco said, sighing. "You really could have told me that they changed the story."

Hermione laughed out loud at that. "Oh, Draco. Don't tell me you only ever read the biased Pureblood version."

"Of course." Draco grimaced. "How was I supposed to know there was a different version?"

"How did Ellie take it?" Hermione asked when she finally stopped laughing. "_The Wizard and the Hopping Pot_ is her favourite story."

"Almost threw a fit when the nice old wizard didn't help he Muggles, but I just let her tell the story herself," Draco replied.

"Well, you can't really complain about her temper. You're the one she gets it from," Hermione teased.

"Very funny. All I'm saying is that you're going to read her bedtime story tonight."


	38. Common Problems

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **Common Problems  
**Author: **kalina_­blue  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Word Count: **498  
**Summary: **Hermione is tired of her boyfriend and her best friend not getting along.  
**Warnings: **Post-DH, EWE  
**A/N: **Written for the third challenge at dyno_drabbles. The drabble had to be conversation only. Won first place.

* * *

"I've had enough," Hermione wailed. "You will talk about your differences until you get along!"

"Hermione, be reasonable." Harry shouted, banging at the door. "Let us out."

"Well done, Malfoy," Harry rounded on Draco. "You pushed her too far, and now she has looked us in her bloody living-room."

"In case you didn't realise, Potter," Draco drawled, "the crazy witch is mad at both of us. Perhaps we shouldn't have started a duel on her birthday."

"And what do you propose we do now?" Harry asked acidly.

"She can't keep us locked in here forever," Draco replied. "We'll just have to wait."

"That's your plan?" Harry asked disbelievingly. "Hermione is the most stubborn woman in the country—if not the entire continent! She won't just give up."

"What do you suggest we do instead? Want to have a chat about our inner most feelings?"

"Funny, Malfoy. You're such an arrogant bastard."

"And you're an insufferable git. Glad we cleared that up," Draco commented dryly. "HERMIONE, LET US OUT!"

"I don't think she's going to free us before we promise to get along," Harry sighed.

"Great, we'll be locked in this room for all _bloody_ eternity. At least she's still mad at the Weasel for force-feeding her an antidote against love potions when she told him she was dating me. Otherwise I'd be forced to endure his presence, too."

"You can't blame the guy for thinking Hermione was under the influence of some potion. Who would have ever thought Hermione would end up wit _you_?"

"Hey, I'm just saying I'm glad Weasel isn't actually here. I tested myself for love potions when I realised I fell in love with Hermione."

"You love her?" Harry asked surprised.

"Get with the program, Potter. If I would just be going out with her to get in her knickers, I would have dumped her already."

"Fine," Harry replied, resigned. "Since it's bloody unlikely that we'll ever really get along, lets just find a topic we can both agree on, and whenever we meet and Hermione is around, we'll talk about it."

"That might work," Draco agreed reluctantly. "How about music? Everybody likes music."

"I like the Weird Sisters," Harry informed him.

"I prefer the opera, and I refuse to listen to any of the Muggle crap."

"No music then," Harry said. "What about Quidditch? We both like it. The Cannons are awesome."

"Are you daft, Potter? The Falmouth Falcons completely own this season."

"National teams perhaps… we're both from England—"

"Actually, my family's estate is in Wales." Draco corrected.

"Great, Quidditch is out, too. This is impossible. We must have _one_ thing in common."

"Doubt it."

"Wait, I presume you don't like the Ministry since they seized half your fortune as reparation after the war, and I've always hated them."

"HERMIONE, let us out. Potter and I need to take over the Ministry together."

"Great, now she's going to keep us here to stop us from committing any felonies," Harry said sarcastically.


	39. Secret Wishes

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **Secret Wishes  
**Author: **kalina_blue  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Word Count: **100  
**Summary: **A secret encounter during a Ministry function.  
**Warnings: **Post-DH, EWE, secret relationship  
**A/N: **Written for the first challenge of the third round at dramione_ldws. The movie was Princess Bride. The drabble had to be exactly 100 words long and contain the phrase "As you wish."

* * *

"We can't see each other like that anymore. People will find out," Hermione whispered in between feverish kisses. Draco had just pulled her into a quiet corner of a Ministry fundraiser, which they were both attending—separately.

"As you wish," Draco immediately said, although he didn't stop.

"Really?" Hermione asked breathlessly.

"No, but I've found that I get whatever I want sooner when I pretend to go along with your insane ideas," he replied, trailing a path of hot kisses from the corner of her mouth to her neck.

"What _do_ you want?" Hermione asked.

His answer was simple. "You."


	40. For Now

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **For Now  
**Author: **kalina_blue  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Word Count: **100  
**Summary: **Two lovers hiding in a hotel room.  
**Warnings: **AU-ish, secret relationship  
**A/N: **Written for the second challenge of the third round at dramione_ldws. The movie was A Room With A View. The drabble had to be exactly 100 words long and take place in a hotel room.

* * *

Hermione looked out of the window, watching the street below. She sighed. The air inside was suffocating her, but she didn't dare to open the window out of fear of being seen.

A hand sneaked around her waist and Hermione leaned back against her boyfriend's bare chest.

"Sometimes I think we'll always be hiding in sticky hotel rooms," Hermione said quietly.

"The war can't last forever," Draco answered, pulling her even closer.

Hermione returned his hug, trying to forget her doubts. For now, all they had was this sticky, little hotel room and each other. It was enough—for now.


	41. We Fight

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **We Fight  
**Author: **kalina_blue  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Word Count: **383  
**Summary: **Just a normal fight for a not so normal couple.  
**Warnings: **Post-DH, EWE, established relationship  
**A/N: **Written for the "I Want the Fairy Tale" Valentine's Challenge at dramionedrabble—Day 01 _The Notebook_. I used the following quotes:  
2. Well that's what we do, we fight... You tell me when I am being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you when you are a pain in the ass.  
3. You look great. And I know I look great.  
5. So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you.

* * *

"I can't believe you just said that," Hermione whispered, face ashen. She tuned on her heel and fled into the bathroom, slamming the door in Draco's face.

"Granger, don't be a cow. Come out of that bathroom," Draco shouted, thoroughly irritated. "We'll lose our reservation."

He didn't receive a reply, but even through the closed door he could hear Hermione cry. Pulling his wand out of his cloak without a pause, Draco blew the bathroom door out of its hinges. He would have to repair the door later—for the third time that month.

"Go away," Hermione shouted.

"Sorry, not going to happen," Draco replied stubbornly.

"I don't want to talk to you right now."

"You think hiding in this bloody bathroom will solve anything?" he asked acidly.

"I have to think," Hermione replied, tears still streaming down her face.

"About what?" Draco asked.

"About us," Hermione said. She had stopped shouting. "Don't you have the feeling that all we do lately is arguing?"

"Well that's what we do, we fight... You tell me when I am being an arrogant son of a bitch and I tell you when you are a pain in the ass, which by the way, you are being right _now_."

"But—"

"Look," Draco said. "I love you." He leaned forward and pecked Hermione on the lips, then continued, "So it's not gonna be easy. It's going to be really hard; we're gonna have to work at this everyday, but I want to do that because I want you."

When he finished, there were new tears welling up in Hermione's eyes, but Draco was reasonably sure that these were neither out of sadness nor anger. Mission accomplished.

"I love you, too," Hermione whispered.

"Great," Draco said, standing up, filled with nervous energy. Talking about his emotions and discussing their relationship with Hermione wasn't something he was very comfortable with.

"You look great. And I know I look great. So stop bawling already and let's go out." Draco grabbed Hermione's hands and pulled her off the floor with him. Hermione giggled despite herself and let him usher her out of their flat.

"By the way, I'm sorry," Draco said when they walked towards the restaurant.

"You have no idea why I was mad at you, don't you?" Hermione accused.


	42. Business Dinner

_Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and I don't make any money with this._

**Title: **Business Dinner  
**Author: **kalina_blue  
**Rating: **PG-13  
**Word Count: **929  
**Summary: **As far as Hermione is concerned this is strictly a business dinner. It is doubtful, however, whether her boss has read that memo.  
**Warnings: **Post-DH, EWE  
**A/N: **Written for the "I Want the Fairy Tale" Valentine's Challenge at dramionedrabble—Day 02 _Notting Hill_. I used the following quotes:  
2. I'm sorry I am so late. Bollocksed up at work again, I fear. Millions down the drain.  
3. No one has said "whoopsidaisies" for fifty years and even then it was only little girls with blonde ringlets.

* * *

Hermione was standing in front of the wizarding restaurant, tapping her foot impatiently. If he dared to stand her up, she'd strangle him. They might not have a date, this was a business meeting after all—one that he had invited her to—but they still had agreed to meet at a specific time. Two minutes and thirty-three seconds ago, to be exact. Being late was unprofessional.

Another eight minutes and twenty-six seconds later, she had just checked her watch again, Draco finally walked up to her.

"I'm sorry I am so late. Bollocksed up at work again, I fear. Millions down the drain," he said by way of greeting.

Hermione huffed indignantly. "How _you_ became the Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation I will never understand."

Draco smirked. Hermione had made a point to complain about his competency as department head at least twice a week. As senior attorney to the International Magical Office of Law she was his employee—a fact Draco made sure to remind her every time she complained.

"I either got the job because the Malfoy family has centuries of experience in international magical trade or because of my charm and dashing good looks. Take your pick. Personally, I think, it was a combination of both."

Hermione rolled her eyes and walked inside the restaurant without comment. Draco followed, still smirking.

During the salad they continued to bicker over the question whether it was only polite to send ahead an owl when one was arriving behind schedule or whether this was completely superfluous if one was mere ten minutes late and the act of tracking down an owl and writing a letter would prolong the arrival even further.

By the time they had finished the salad they agreed to disagree. Considering their rather turbulent history, it was a hitherto unprecedented peaceful end to a discussing.

While they waited for their main course, Hermione asked about Draco's mishap at work. "Millions down the drain," could after all mean a number of things in Malfoy speech. He might have insulted the wizarding ambassador of France again—a distant cousin of the Malfoys, who was at least as supercilious as Draco. The last time that had happened, the Ministry had only been able to prevent putting a permanent strain on the relationship between the two countries by throwing a rather costly benefit gala in the insulted ambassador's name.

Or Draco might have side-stepped a few pivotal laws in order to favour wizarding Britain on the international market. That usually would cost the Ministry a hefty fine.

Or Draco merely could have been referring to a business deal he had made in the Ministry's name that only garnered a couple of millions in profits instead of the several millions he had been aiming for. With Draco one never knew.

But Draco refused to talk about work after hours, asking about Hermione's writing instead in order to change the subject. Hermione was writing a children's book, something Draco had found out when she had worked on it during lunch. He continually made fun about the title, _Whoopsiedaisy's Mis-Adventures_.

Hermione thought it was a rather appropriate title for a story about a clumsy, little girl. Draco was of the opinion that no one had said "whoopsidaisies" for fifty years and even then it had only been little girls with blonde ringlets. But Hermione appreciated the fact that even though Draco was ridiculing the title, he at least wasn't laughing at the idea of her writing books for children—which Harry and Ron had done.

Throughout the entire meal they were bantering and laughing, at each other and with each other, and even though both of them would rather have pledged their undying love to one of Dolores Umbridge's ugly kittens than admit it, they were having a good time together.

By the time they had finished the pudding and Draco had paid the cheque, both of them were reluctant for the evening to end, choosing to walk along Diagon Alley instead.

"I had fun tonight," Hermione said while absentmindedly staring at a window display at Eeylops Owl Emporium.

"Don't sound so surprised," Draco mocked.

"Aren't you?" Hermione asked. "Surprised, I mean."

"I'd say I'm feeling more resigned than surprised," Draco said dryly. "Apparently I managed to fall for the only girl who isn't taken by my charm and money and who disagrees with everything I say on principle."

Before Hermione had the chance to ask Draco who he was talking about, he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her. Hermione was so shocked by the unsuspected turn of their business dinner, she forgot to push him away and accidentally kissed him back. At least that was the version of events she would tell Ginny the following day.

"How about we finish the evening with a few drinks?" Draco asked when he finally pulled away.

Hermione looked at him uncertainly, torn between accepting his invitation or not. After all, this hadn't been a date—it was a business meeting.

Okay, maybe she wasn't kissing her other co-workers like that. She certainly hadn't been in the habit of sticking her tongue down the throat of any of her previous bosses. But it still had been a business meeting. She vaguely recalled having talked about business—albeit briefly between the salad and the main course—and Draco was her boss. This was the very definition of a business meeting.

And if she were to let him take her out for drinks now, it was only to strengthen their working-relationship.


End file.
